Kitty Problems
by dianaglampers177
Summary: A witch studying at Hogwart's is trying to make a potion to cure her sick cat. Peeves, determined to spread chaos and disorder, stands in her way. She'll go through whatever it takes to save her beloved pet. Takes place during Goblet of Fire.
1. My Sick Cat

Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff.

Kitty Problems

By Diana Moon Glampers

Chapter 1

My Sick Cat

Hello. My name's Faye Isorjiwski, seventh year student at Hogwart's. There's been a lot of talk around the school lately, mostly on the upcoming Triwizard Tournament. Word has it that two of our best students, Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter will be competing in them. Their respective groups and friends are going positively gaga over it all. I don't really care. I'll support my house, yell "go team!" and all that, but otherwise, I'm not really into it.

I've got my own problems to worry about, namely my cat, Mittens. She's got short, tortoiseshell patterned fur. She has a long tail that she likes to flail around when she's mad. She also hates everything and will scratch and hiss without provocation. One second, she'll be rubbing up against my legs, trying to get me to pet her. The next minute, she's trying to tear my throat out. I love that cat so much, but the sad truth is that she's sick. I've been taking some extra time in my potions class lately to try to figure out if there's something I can do to make my poor kitty better.

I was staying after that day, reading up on advanced potions. Professor Snape had long since left and the only students still in his room were the ones who really needed to study. We're talking students who failed a few quizzes and need to get their act together, lest they want to flunk out. Lucky for me, I usually wasn't one of them, though there was always the looming fear that I'd become one if I let my grades slip.

My study partner was a boy that was a few years younger than me, Draco Malfoy. He was a smelly boy with smooth skin and a sharp tongue, the kind of kid that thinks he's better than you despite being three years younger. We were reading up on healing potions together, though I think he was bored, really bored.

I pointed to a recipe on a page. "Okay, so if we can decrease the dosage by 40%, we might be able to cure my cat with this." I said.

Draco groaned.

"Maybe if you want your cat to be a pile of cinders."

"Why? What's wrong with this?" I said, pointing to the recipe again.

Draco pointed to one of the ingredients, pard blood.

"This stuff will make your cat ignite. Honestly, I don't see how Snape could give you any sort of praise if you don't know that."

He was correct. Snape had gone on about how dangerous pard blood could be when ingested by lesser felines. Draco put on a smug look, like he thought he was better than me.

"What the hell is that?" I said.

"What, this? It's satisfaction, Faye. I know I'm going to pass my grades in this class with flying colors. Hogwart's really has lowered its standards for adequate students in recent years, no?"

I wanted to punch that little shit so bad, but settled on giving him an angry look instead. He got up and left.

"Right. Well, this was fun, but I've got better things to do." He said.

I thought about calling him to come back to me, but decided not to. I don't need him. I can study on my own.

There was another kid sitting by me, Corey Twothorn, my best friend. He was a year younger than Draco, but he had much worse grades. Remember how I said that some students studied after class out of necessity? He was one of them. He wasn't the smartest guy in the class, but he did have a lot of energy. The kid seemed to always be happy, always smiling.

Corey was also a short little guy. I'm not just saying that because I'm tall. Corey was shorter than your average 14-year-old boy. Maybe puberty wasn't hitting him too hard. Maybe his whole family is short. The thing is, I'm about as tall as most basketball players and he's short enough that he still gets offered children's menus at restaurants.

Corey walked up to my desk with his books in hand. He smiled as he talked to me.

"Hey, Faye. How's it going?" He said.

"Not so good. I still need to come up with a potion to cure my cat. She's sick with some kind of obscure magic fever and I can't figure out what I need to do." I said.

"Did you try the cat books? I know there's plenty of cat books in the library, thanks to Trelawney." Corey said.

I sighed.

"Yeah, I checked all of them. None of them mentioned anything close to the symptoms."

For the record, I could tell my cat was sick because she was coughing up unearthly green hairballs. None of the cat books mentioned anything close to that.

"Oh. Well, good luck. Maybe if you can cure it, you can make it into a report and get an easy passing grade from Professor Snape. I'm sure even a sourpuss like him would appreciate discoveries like that." Corey said.

"Maybe. I hope so." I said.

While I talked to Corey, I couldn't help but take my eyes off of his face. Those beautiful eyes, that cute nose, his short hair, that smile… Sometimes I couldn't stop thinking about Corey. I hated it when I thought of him, though. I'd yell at myself, sometimes even punish myself over thinking about him too much.

"Well, let me know when your kitty gets better, okay? I want to pet her again." Corey said. He got up and walked away. I tried not to look at him. I waved him goodbye and pretended that I wasn't thinking of him. My thoughts were wrong, they had to be. Why?

Because I'm asexual.


	2. My Obnoxious Roomate

Chapter 2

My Obnoxious Roomate

I was in my room, with my cat, Mittens. She was on my bed with her ears back, growling at me. I had a syringe in my hand, filled with a potion, one with an eerie purple glow. I made it earlier that day, no thanks to that punk Malfoy. I tried to move in to give my cat the potion. She hissed at me.

"Come on, Mittens. Please?" I said.

She hissed at me. I moved my hand in closer to grab her, but she put her paw up like she was going to scratch me. Mittens let out another growl. She knew that this stuff I was trying to give her tasted nasty. I was going to force her to take it whether she liked it or not.

"Mittens, please?"

Her fur stood up on end. She growled at me again.

"Don't make that sound." I said.

I grabbed Mittens by the flap of skin on the back of her neck, the ones that all cats had that you could use as a handle. She started spazzing out and thrashing everywhere, like a fluffy ball of spit and razors. She put a huge scratch across my arm. I dropped her.

"Ow! Bollocks!" I shouted.

I rolled up my sleeve and saw that she broke the skin. My arm was bleeding and I'd have to cast a healing spell after this was done, thanks to that damnable feline. I loved Mittens, but sometimes she could be a real pain.

I looked down and saw that Mittens was on the floor. She was trying to sneak under my bed, but the crevasse was small and she was a fat cat. I grabbed her again by the back of the neck and lifted her into my arms. This was a dangerous technique. I ended up getting huge scratches across my chest when I did this before, but if I was going to cure my cat, I was going to have to endure.

"Come on, Mittens."

I put the syringe into her mouth and started squirting. She chomped her mouth and acted like she was about to spit it out, but didn't. I set her down before she could spaz out and scratch me again. She slinked off into a corner and growled at me again.

"Oh, I love you Mittens. It's for your own good. Okay?" I said.

I started to reach in to pet Mittens again, until my roommate, Baily, walked in. Baily was the same age as me. She was kind of ugly, had a really long nose, and loved fruit. Even more annoyingly, she thought she was the most beautiful girl around. She was like one of those creepy swamp hags in training. I hope I never become like her. Baily looked pretty happy when she walked in.

"Heyyyy there Faye. How are you this good afternoon?" She said.

"Not too good, Baily. My cat scratched me real good."

I showed her my huge cut. It was still bleeding.

"Oh. Well, that will not do, no it will not, noo noo noo." She said.

Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I just wanted her to shut up. I tried to be polite, though.

"Let me help you, Faye. I can ease that pain like sun on the rain!"

She waved her magic wand and said some magic words. In an instant, my cut closed up. It still hurt like hell, but at least it wasn't bleeding anymore.

"Thanks." I said.

"It's no problem, deary. Hehe!"

The way she said "deary"… I guess I'm reminded that all old people were young once. Still, I feel like Baily was born to be an old hag, the kind of negative stereotype witches tend to be associated with.

Baily sat down on her bed and smiled.

"I'm reallllly happy today." She said.

"Okay." I replied.

Baily dug into her pocket and grabbed a catnip mouse.

"I got this mailed in from Diagon Alley. I hope Mittens feels better." She said.

I'd been sharing quarters with Baily for a year now and Mittens was almost as much of her cat as she was mine. We both played with her a lot, petted her, and got scratched. The magic fever and creepy green hairballs had been taking a toll on both of us.

Baily bent down and looked Mittens in the eyes.

"Get better, okay, sweetie?" She said.

Mittens didn't do anything. I guess she didn't feel like growling or hissing.

"I'll get her better, Baily." I said.

I kneeled down to pet my cat.

"Don't you worry. I gave her a potion that I'm sure will work. Mittens will be back to her usual self by tomorrow." I said.

"I hope so. The poor little kitty's been sick all week." My roomate replied.

Baily turned away from my cat. She giggled to herself and poked her face a little. I wasn't sure why she did that, but Baily had a horrible habit of poking her face, especially around her nose.

"I'm going to ask Harry Potter to The Yule Ball." She said.

"You'll get turned down." I said.

"No I won't." Baily replied.

What the hell was she thinking? Harry's a celebrity. Besides, he's always hanging around with that mudblood, Granger. He'll go with her, I'm sure.

"Okay, Baily." I said.

She giggled.

"That's where you're wrong, my dearest, Faye. I have a special trick up my sleeve. Hehehe!"

Baily reached into her closet and pulled out a dress. It had to be the tackiest looking thing I'd ever seen. There were sequins all over it. You could go blind looking at it long enough. It also had an embarrassingly low neckline.

"I'm going to look so sexy in this. My Mom gave it to me with some good advice: Find a man, any man."

"Uh-huh." I said.

"The world's full of boys, Faye. You've got big boys, rich boys, strong boys, and even lovely boys. I'm not into boys, though. I want a man, Faye."

My roommate put away her terrible dress and turned to me.

"So, who do you hope asks you to the ball?"

"Uh…"

I never bothered to tell Baily that I was asexual. Really, that kind of stuff is private. It's not a good idea to go out and broadcast your sexuality (or lack of) to everyone you know. It makes you look like a gigantic tool and no one will want to anything to do with this loud, opinionated, attention-seeking brat. Then again, leaving people in the dark can have consequences, like this one.

"Uh…"

"What about that guy you sit with in Herbology, what's his name? Brandon? Or was it Brendan? Bronson?" Baily said.

This was pretty awkward for me. I wasn't sure what to say.

"I might not go." I said.

Baily frowned.

"Faye, you're a good looking girl. Maybe you're a little tall, but you can probably get someone." She said.

I started to sweat.

"I… I guess I'll take who I can get, then. You know the saying, right? Take life as it comes, one step at a time." I said.

I just wanted this conversation to be over already. I spotted an opportunity to change the subject with my cat, who seemed to have had a mood swing and was rubbing up against my legs.

"Aw! Look who decided to be nice!" I said.

I picked up Mittens and cuddled her. Her ears went down immediately. Any joy that cat was experiencing went away the moment I laid hands on her. I love my cat.

"Is she still sick?" Baily said.

Almost as if on cue, Mittens let out a loud, worried meow. It didn't sound good. It started bobbing its head back and forth. Crap. All of us knew what this meant.

"Oh. Oh no." Baily said.

Baily puked all over my shirt. It wasn't normal puke either. It had an eerie purple glow to it, the same glow that was in my potion. It also smelled awful. I don't know what happened, but I think something in the potion made it worse. I set down my cat, who curled up in a ball and meowed again in pain.

"I'm going to change." I said.

Baily kneeled down to comfort my cat.

"I'll go and help Kitty, then." She said.

I guess I'll have to come up with a new potion if I was going to cure my cat.


	3. My Worst Enemy

Chapter 3

My Worst Enemy

It was the next day. I was in the library, reading through some books on various magical feline fevers. I was starting to worry that poor Mittens wasn't even sick at all, but rather cursed. Was I even looking in the correct sections? Would I have to start back at square one? Dear me, this gave me a headache. I started to read one of the books, the dustiest, oldest one I pulled, until I heard someone behind me.

"Whatcha' doing? Studying?"

It was Peeves. Oh lord, did I hate Peeves. He was the enemy of productivity, like an unstoppable force that existed only to distract and annoy. Maybe he'd go away if I ignored him.

Peeves glanced at my book.

"Reading up on cats, I see? That's a shame. I hate cats." He said.

I ignored him and turned the page. There was an illustration of a cat that had been enchanted with a shrinking spell. Peeves smiled.

"Oh. I like that one. Are you going to show that bastard Filch a thing or two? Shrinking his cat would…"

"Shut up." I said.

"No, you." Peeves replied.

I didn't say anything and continued reading. I saw a paragraph on unearthly green hairballs… I see other people have had to deal with that before. What luck! It looks like there's more on page 136. I'll just have to…

"Yoink!" Peeves said. He snatched my book and began to fly away. I had to go after him.

"Hey, give that back!" I shouted.

Peeves put his finger up to his lips.

"Shhhh! You're in a library."

Peeves continued to fly, all the way up the grand staircase. He went up to a higher level. I started to go up a flight of stairs, until I felt something on my foot. It was stuck. I looked down and noticed that I was ankle deep in some kind of magic quicksand. Bloody magic stairs… I love this school, but sometimes its quirks really piss me off.

Peeves made faces at me from atop the stairs, where I couldn't reach him. He sang a song.

"Nah-nah-nah-nah! I'll get someone to shrink Filch's cat! Then I'll put her in bathtub with a rat! It'll be fun and jolly in every way! When I watch the predator become the prey! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!"

"No more jokes, Peeves. I need that book. My cat is sick and that book has what I need to cure her." I said.

"Oh. Well, tough shit. I hate cats."

Peeves flew away with the book. I started to pull out my wand. I was ready to hurt the little guy, but he was too fast. I turned down to my feet. They had both sunk into the stairs. I tried to wiggle my legs to get my shoes off, but it was no use. I was all the way up to my shins in the stuff.

There was a spell I knew, one that could get me out of this! I pulled out my wand and pointed it at my heel.

"Okay… What was that spell again?"

My mind was so immersed in cats and diseases that I'd forgotten. It was… embarrassing, to say the least. I guess I'd just have to try my best.

"Liberatorvus!"

Nope. That wasn't the correct spell. I tried again.

"Liberace!"

Nothing. Okay, third time's a charm! I got ready to wave my wand until I heard someone else.

"Liberacorpus."

Someone had freed me. I fell down the stairs and landed at my liberator's feet. I looked up. It was Malfoy, with his smug grin on his face.

"Honestly, you call yourself a seventh year student, Faye? Even first years know that one." He said.

I stood up and dusted myself off. Malfoy chuckled.

"You have got to be one of the most embarrassing witches in Hogwart's if you couldn't get yourself out of that one."

I wanted to wrap my hands around that little shit's neck so bad.

"If you keep with that level of stupidity and ignorance, then…"

"Shut up." I said.

I walked away from him without another word. I was mad. When I was mad, I needed to calm down. The best way for me to do that was to go back to my room and pet my cat. She always made me feel better. Always.

I arrived back in my room and saw Baily with Mittens. There was glowing green gunk all over her hands. She had Mittens wrapped up in a towel. My cat looked horrible.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I said.

Baily turned to me.

"Mittens won't eat. I tried to feed her this morning, but she wouldn't go near her bowl. She hasn't been moving much lately either."

I turned to my cat. She had this sad look on her face. Her ears drooped. Her tail was crooked, like she didn't even have enough strength to straighten it. I knew cats can't cry, but if they could, I'd swear I could see a tear in poor Mitten's large yellow eyes. I lifted her up and hugged her. Mittens let out a meow, not an angry meow, but a sad sounding one.

"Oh, Mittens…" I said.

I hugged her. I stroked her fur.

"I'm going to find you that cure, okay? We're going to get through this. We will." I said.

Baily moved in to hug Mittens too. It was a group hug. I think we all needed it.


	4. Gott Mit Uns

Chapter 4

Gott Mit Uns

It was a brand new day. My classes were over and I was full on energy. I was going to get that book back from Peeves. I didn't care what it was going to take. I was going to save my cat, Mittens. I was going to seize that book from Peeves and get that potion, the one that could cure my cat. Nothing was going to stand in my way. Nothing.

I went up the staircase, the same one that trapped me earlier, but this time I was prepared. I waved my wand and pointed it at the steps.

"Dispell."

An aura formed around the staircase. It glowed and made an ungodly screeching sound. It was the sound of its magical nature being suppressed. The spell wouldn't last long, though. I hurried up the stairs and went to where Peeves was hiding. There was a chance that he'd have moved since then, but this was a great place to start my search.

When I arrived at the top of the stairs, I saw a bunch of Peeves' belongings. I guess this was his lair. Lucky for me, he didn't seem to be there. There was a picture of Filch in the corner, taped to a dart board with several darts in its nose. There were foul smelling metal boxes stacked up against a wall. Some of them were wet. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what was in them. I also saw a pile of "treasure" in the corner. People's jewelry, lurid notes with bad handwriting, dirty underwear… No doubt stolen from students over Peeves' years in Hogwart's. I walked over to Peeves' pile of pilfered belongings and searched for my book.

"What do you think you're doing, Miss Isorjiwski?"

I turned around and saw Peeves right behind me, dressed in some kind of ghostly Nazi regalia. Lord knows where he found it. Peeves frothed with anger and grabbed a ghostly gun from his pocket.

"Put your hands where I can see them."

He cocked his pistol. I wasn't sure if a ghost gun would really hurt me, but I'd seen him interact with physical objects many times, so I didn't take any chances.

"Peeves, listen. I need that book. My cat is sick. If I don't have the right potion, he could die." I said.

Peeves scowled.

"Walk." He said.

"Where?"

"To the trains with the rest of the POWs. You wanna die, huh?" Peeves said.

He pushed the barrel of his gun up to my back. It was cold and sent shivers down my spine. I started walking.

"To the right. Come on, Miss Isorjiwski. Der Furher awaits you."

Peeves pushed me to a strange corner of his lair. There was an effigy of Adolf Hitler hung from his ceiling by a noose. There were iron crosses painted on his floor. His walls had shelves with crude clay sculptures of eagles on them.

"Turn around." Peeves said.

I faced him, my hands still in the air.

"I'm going to tell Dumbledore about this. He's going to kick you out of here for good, maybe even banish you to wherever bad poltergeists go. Then you'll…"

He interrupted me.

"Dead women tell no tales."

In an instant, I heard a loud bang. His gun flashed. I felt a pain, a horrible, blunt force going straight into my stomach. I fell down. Was I shot? I looked up at Peeves. He had a huge grin of satisfaction on his face. I looked down at my stomach. There was a huge red stain on my shirt. Was this blood? No, blood smelled different. I put some of the red gunk on my hand and sniffed it.

"Paint?"

Peeves dropped his gun and laughed. He laughed so hard that he fell down onto the floor, his eyes watering.

"You… You idiot!" I screamed.

I tried to kick Peeves, but my foot went right through him.

"Oh what a prank! What a prank! Miss Isorjiwski, did you look down at your pants? Did you? Did you?"

…Somewhere along the line, I must have urinated myself in fear. I pulled out my wand and brandished it.

"You will regret this. I swear." I said.

Peeves stood up.

"What are you going to do to me, Faye? Well? I'm not afraid of you, you dirty Pole."

That was the last straw. I was ready to torture that bastard. I waved my wand and cast a spell that I knew would be one that could harm ghosts.

"Expecto Patronum."

I summoned my Patronus, a ghostly white snapping turtle. She wasn't the strongest Patronus out there, but she had a lot of character. My Patronus stepped toward Peeves. He took a huge step back.

"Really? Of all the animals, your Patronus is the slowest, stupidest, ugliest reptile of them all?" Peeves said.

"She's not a reptile. She's an amphibian." I said.

"No, I'm pretty sure they're reptiles." Peeves said.

I grabbed my Patronus off of the ground and slammed its shell right into Peeves' face. He was dazed for a moment. This gave me an opportunity to move the turtle up to Peeves' finger. The snapper bit him. He let out a yelp in pain. He fell down onto the floor again. I put on a devious smile. I moved my snapping turtle's head down to a very sensitive area for men.

"No! Please!" Peeves said.

"You won't do anything like this to me again?" I said.

"I promise. Now please, put away that turtle and we can forget this ever happened." Peeves said, shielding his crotch with his hands.

I unsummoned my Patronus and gave Peeves a look.

"Now where is that book?" I said.

Peeves gave me a toothy grin.

"I hid it in one of my boxes." He said.

"Go get it, then." I said.

"Okay, okay. Keep your pants on. Or not. They still smell like piss, you know." He said.

Peeves walked away and returned with a metal box. It was heavy, so heavy that he had to push it instead of lifting it. It was wet and still had foul smelling liquid dripping from it.

"Open it." I said.

Peeves tried to open it, but couldn't.

"I can't. I'm just a weak little poltergeist. Do you think a strong woman such as yourself could do it for me?" He said.

"Cut the crap and open it up." I ordered.

He tried again.

"I'm sorry, Faye. I can't open it. I sealed it tight with unicorn glue."

Unicorn glue? I shuddered to think of where he'd get that or who would even make it. Those poor unicorns…

"Fine. I'll open it myself. But! If this is another one of your pranks, then you can kiss your balls goodbye."

I tried to open the metal box, but it was tough. I guess he was telling the truth after all.

"See? I told you. It's difficult." He said.

I gave the box another try, using all my strength to pry it open. Sure enough, the top opened up. The smell of rust filled the air. I could feel something sinister too, an evil energy that crept into the air. I tried not to think anything of it, though. I also saw my book. It was nestled between a pile of broken glass and stolen candy. I grabbed the book and turned to Peeves.

"Now stay the hell away from me. You got that, you little shit?" I said.

"Uh-huh." Peeves said.

He smiled and gave me one of those Nazi Salutes.

"Heil Isorjiwski!"

I thought about giving him a rude gesture as I left, but there wasn't much time. My cat needed that cure as soon as possible.

…

I barged into my room. Baily was there, trying on makeup or something. I don't know, but it didn't matter. She noticed the paint stains on my shirt and the piss stains on my pants.

"Faye? What happened? Why are you…"

"There's no time, Baily. Come on, we need to get Mittens some Mercury." I said.

"Mercury? I think there's some of that in her tuna." Baily said.

She rushed over to get a can of tuna. I turned to Mittens. She looked horrible. Her fur was matted, like she hadn't had the strength to lick herself in a while. There was glowing green gunk all over her, probably stuff that she coughed up. She looked sad, like she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Mittens?" I said.

She gave me a weak "meow".

"It's going to be okay, sweetie. Mercury can weaken the symptoms while I get a potion together, okay? Just hang in there." I said to my cat.

Mittens gave me another weak Meow. Baily arrived with a plate of tuna. Mittens wouldn't eat it.

"Come on, Mittens. Please?" I said.

"Meow."


	5. Maly Suka

Chapter 5

Maly Suka

I left my room with Baily in charge of keeping Mittens alive. The poor kitty could barely move. I had to move fast if I was going to gather the ingredients for the medicine that could cure Mittens. In total, I needed a leaf from a "catscratch tree" whatever that was, some all-purpose newt eyes, and a few drops of an extract called devil's dew. I guess the leaves could be found in Sprout's herbology room. She probably won't mind if I took some. I know I have some extra newt eyes in my locker somewhere, so that one's simple. I've seen the devil's dew before too, in Snape's potion class. We used it to make the air dry, if I recall correctly.

I started toward Sprout's classroom. I rushed down the halls, hoping that I could get the potion together in time, until I heard a voice.

"Faye."

I turned around. It was my uncle, my mom's brother.

"Uncle Tibor?" I said.

Back when my family lived in Poland, before we moved to Britain, my mother would get into fights with my Uncle Tibor. He hated me, called me "maly suka", Polish for "little bitch". I remember one night, I heard screaming. I rushed downstairs and saw him using some kind of magic spell involving knives, pointing them at my parents. It's okay, though, he was a complete screwup and he stopped him. He was arrested and put into Azkaban. I thought so, anyway. He was standing right in front of me.

"Faye. Come to your Uncle Tibor." He said.

He reached into his pocket and grabbed a small rod. It wasn't his magic wand, but a switchblade. I saw the sharp end come out. My stomach dropped. I felt sick.

"Faye? Are you listening, you little bitch? Come to your Uncle Tibor."

He started to walk toward me. I pulled out my wand.

"Stay the hell away from me." I said.

"What are you going to do? Huh? What? What?"

I cast a spell, one to repel him away from me, but it didn't seem to work. He grabbed me by the wrist.

"Let go of me!" I shouted, struggling to get away from him.

Uncle Tibor was silent. He smacked me with the back of his hand. I tried to hit him back, but he smacked me again, this time right in the eyes.

"Stay still. It'll be over soon." He said.

Uncle Tibor slid his switchblade up my shirtsleeve. I wanted to knock it out of his hand, but that blade was very close to my neck. He held the blade against my skin and let out a smile.

"You've grown a lot since I last saw you. You're real tall, Faye. I don't think I can call you my 'little bitch' anymore." He whispered, his other hand squeezing my butt.

Uncle Tibor started to talk some more, until I heard someone from down the hall.

"Faye!"

It was Corey Twothorn, my friend. He had his wand out and was rushing to my aid. Uncle Tibor turned to him and assumed the form of a spider. That was when it hit me: This wasn't my uncle at all. It was a boggart, probably one that Peeves let loose when he had me open his box. I grabbed my wand again and cast my spell.

"Riddikulus!"

The spider started to turn into a balloon animal, but it morphed back, like it was resisting my spell. The spider lunged toward Corey and jumped on him. It gnashed it fangs wildly and spewed venom all over his face.

"Corey!" I said.

He started to gasp. His face was pale.

"I'm not afraid of spiders, not anymore."

It was a lie. I could see him sweating in fear. I needed to do something.

"Riddikulus!"

Magic burst from my wand. The spider started to turn into a balloon animal again, just long enough for Corey to escape. The boggart resumed its normal, scary form. It turned to us. It spoke with Uncle Tibor's voice.

"I can do this all night, little bitch."

I knew that this was a strong boggart, stronger than usual if it could resist magic like that. Corey turned to me.

"Faye, cast your spell again. Make him turn into a balloon animal." He said.

"Why? It won't last." I replied.

"It doesn't have to." Corey said.

I trusted him and his plan.

"Riddikulus!"

In an instant, the spider turned into a balloon animal. It started to turn back until Corey cast a spell of his own.

"Needalis!"

A needle fired from Corey's wand, like a bullet. It pierced through the balloon spider's legs, popping them. When the boggart turned back to a spider, it was weak and immobile. I finished it off.

"Riddikulus!"

The boggart turned into a balloon again. This time, it stayed that way. Corey cast his needle spell again, popping it.

"You can't be too sure about these things." He said as he finished the boggart off.

I turned to Corey.

"Thanks. Seriously, thank you." I said.

"It was nothing. Back in my second year, I had to fight off a boggart that turned into a speeding train for my Defense Against The Dark Arts class. It almost ran me over, it did." He said.

Corey gave me a look.

"What are you doing out in the halls this late?" He said.

"I should ask you the same." I replied.

Corey smiled.

"That old bat Snape confiscated my Giga Pet because it was distracting me in class. I was going to steal it back."

"Giga Pet?" I said.

"It's a muggle toy. You feed it, care for it, love it, all that stuff. It's a bloody good way to distract yourself when a lecture gets boring."

"Really. Is it like a cat?" I said.

"Kind of. It's more like a watch. You'd have to see it." He said.

"Well, that's good. If you're going to Snape's, do you think you could grab me some devil's dew? I know he has a huge jar of it in the back, but I only need a small amount. It's for my cat, you see, and she's sick…" I said.

Corey nodded.

"Say no more. I'll have that dew for you faster than you can say 'tuna'."

"Good. Meet me right here once you're done. Okay?" I said.

"Okay."

I parted ways with Corey and snuck into Sprout's classroom. There was a shelf in there stuffed with all kinds of obscure plant seeds and leaves for students to study. One of them was in fact, a bushel of leaves from a catscratch tree. The leaves themselves were real dry and scratchy. I didn't like the feel of them, but didn't want to risk putting them in my pockets. I really needed to change my clothes and take a shower. I still smelled like urine.

I returned with the leaves and found Corey waiting for me. He seemed sad.

"My Gigapet died." He said.

"Oh. I'm sorry." I said.

I leaned in to hug him. He seemed surprised.

"Whoa, it's not that big of a deal." He said.

"No, it is. Losing a pet, is… It's…"

I started to sob. I'll admit, I can be somewhat of a baby when on the subject of pets. They mean a lot to me and when I think of other people losing them, I can't help but imagine my own pets in the same situation. Corey shrugged and decided to hug me. I had to lean down to huge him better, what with him being so short and me being so tall.

"It's okay, Corey. It's okay. Your Gigapet's in a better place now." I said.

Once I was done, Corey handed me a vial of devil's due.

"Thanks." I said.

"It wasn't a problem." Corey said.

He seemed to have an awkward smile on his face. He wasn't looking me in the eyes for some reason. I followed his eyes and noticed that he was staring at my chest. That' right. That boggart, posing as my uncle, slashed a good chunk of my shirt off. Corey had a good view of my breasts, covered only by my bra and a few shreds of cloth that were left of my shirt.

"I… I'm sorry." Corey said.

"What's there to be sorry for? I don't care." I said.

Corey stammered for a few moments before speaking again.

"You're pretty, Faye."

I had to smile.

"Oh. Thank you, Corey!"

I guess that was the polite thing to do. Still, this situation was pretty weird.

"Well, I need to get going. I have to cure my cat before she dies." I said.

"Okay. Good luck!" Corey said.

I waved goodbye to him. He waved at me. I needed to get to Mittens, post haste.


	6. Werwolf! (sic)

Chapter 6

"Werwolf!" (sic)

Baily helped me mix all of the ingredients together. The newt eyes, the catscratch leaves and the devil's dew all mixed together into a fine, oily paste. I turned to Mittens. She looked sad and weak. It made me feel real uncomfortable to see her like that. Normally, she was spry and full of life. Now it looked like she could barely stand.

"Come on, Mittens. Eat it up. Come one!"

I put a bowl of the magic paste potion in front of her. For once, she actually accepted it! Mittens licked up the paste. She was very slow, but I could tell that she needed it and was more than willing to lap it all up. I turned to Baily.

"She's already getting better. See?" I said.

Baily nodded.

"You went through a lot to save her, Faye. You're a good owner." She said.

"Thanks." I said.

The magic potion needed some time to work. Mittens wasn't going to get better overnight. Still, it was a step in the right direction.

"Faye?" Baily said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going out tomorrow night. I want to watch the Triwizard Tournament some more." She said.

"Really? It's just a bunch of overachievers trying to outdo each other." I said.

Baily sighed.

"I know. But Harry Potter is competing tomorrow and I want to see him. He's a legend, you know, the boy who lived."

"Yes, yes, I know. I don't care, though. Go ahead and watch him. I don't care." I said.

"You don't want to come with me?" Baily said.

"Heavens no." I replied.

She looked a little disappointed before smiling.

"Do you think he'll invite me to The Yule Ball? I really want to go with him." She said.

I groaned.

"I'm really tired, Baily. I just want to go to bed."

"Oh. Okay, then. Well, wish me luck, okay?" She said.

…

It was the next day. I didn't have anything going on. Everyone else was over watching the Triwizard Tournament, so it was pretty quiet. I was studying herbology in the Slytherin commons. I wanted to know more about catscratch trees, not only because I had just used their leaves to cure my cat, but also because it was on the upcoming test. I had Mittens with me, on my lap. I didn't want to let her out of my sight. She was getting better. I'd stroke her fur every so often and she'd let out a purr. It was good to see that she'd be healthy soon.

Corey stopped by. He had a little plastic thing with an LCD screen in his hands.

"Hey, Faye. How's it going?" He said.

"Corey? Shouldn't you be watching the tournament?" I said.

He shook his head.

"Nah. I'm not into sports. Oh! But check this out!"

Corey handed me his plastic thing. I could see a tiny cat on the LCD screen.

"I reset my Giga Pet. It's alive again!" He said.

I let out a laugh and held up my real pet, Mittens.

"Yet, but can you cuddle it?" I said.

Mittens let out an annoyed meow. I set her back down before she got crabby with me. Corey stroked Mittens' fur.

"She is soft." He said.

"Thanks. I spent all morning cleaning her. She wasn't happy about it, but her fur was a matted mess." I said.

Corey and I took turns petting Mittens. Things were going well until I heard a noise from the back of the commons.

"Grr! Grrr! I see you, Faye! I see you!"

It was Peeves again. This time, he was dressed up in fur pelts and a hat that resembled a wolf's head. I cringed at the thought of what he could be trying to do.

"We should leave." I said.

Corey agreed. "That would be a good idea."

I picked up my cat. Corey grabbed me by the hand, which I admit, startled me a little. Before we could walk too far, Peeves appeared in front of both of us.

"Faye, you defeated me in my own home. I'm not going to take that lying down." He growled.

I sneered back at him.

"I'll defeat you again if I have to. Now leave." I said.

Peeves let out a howl that slowly turned into a maniacal laugh.

"Are you supposed to be a wolfhound?" Corey asked.

"What? No! I'm a werwolf." Peeves said.

"Don't you mean 'werewolf'?" I said.

"No, a werewolf! Don't you know… Never mind!" Peeves growled.

He let out another howl. I started to back away from him, until Mittens started spazzing out. She screamed, hissed, and lunged toward Peeves. She passed right through him and fell on her face. I guess she still wasn't healthy enough to always land of her feet.

Peeves lifted my startled cat. She growled and tried to claw at Peeves, but he was impervious to her swipes. I drew my wand.

"Put her down, this instant." I said.

Peeves let out another maniacal laugh.

"I always hated cats."

He moved his hand down toward Mittens' tail. I wasn't about to let him hurt her and started to cast my spell. Magic radiated from my wand. Peeves tossed my cat at me before I could finish. She landed right on my face, with her claws out. I screamed in pain.

"AIEEE!"

Mittens jumped off of my face and onto Corey. He was smaller than me and weaker too. The cat knocked him down. Peeves let out a laugh.

"Who's a good kitty? Who's a good kitty?" He said.

I tried to pry the cat off of my friend, but she turned around and scratched me before running away to a corner.

I helped Corey up and pointed my wand at Peeves.

"You're dead." I said.

Peeves let out another laugh.

"I'm a poltergeist, Miss Isorjiwski. I'm already dead."

I was ready to summon my Patronus again and use her as a weapon, but Peeves disappeared into thin air before I could do anything. I was still angry, though. I wanted to hurt him real bad for what he'd done. I turned to my cat, Mittens. I wanted to pet her to calm down, but she was hiding in a corner. She hissed at me when I looked at her.

"I swear, I'm going to kill that little shit." I growled, thinking of Peeves.

"Don't let him get to you." Corey said.

I looked at him and noticed a red stain underneath his shirt, around where Mittens landed on him. My anger turned to concern.

"Are you okay?" I said.

"I think so. Why?" Corey said.

"You've got blood on your chest." I replied.

Corey looked down. It was as though he hadn't even noticed before I told him.

"I don't see anything." He said.

I knew he was lying. But why?

"I know a healing spell. I can…"

He interrupted me.

"No, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, okay? You have your sick cat to take care of." Corey said.

I didn't believe him. Cat's claws could be dirty sometimes. They use those same paws to walk everywhere, scratch everything, and bury their poop in the litter box. Cat scratches had to be treated immediately, or else there was a very high chance of infection.

"Let me see." I said.

I moved in close to Corey and grabbed him by the buttons of his shirt. He resisted at first, but stopped by the time I undid the first one. Sure enough, there was a huge gash across his smooth, silky skin. Mittens must have really torn into him.

"…It's bad, isn't it?" Corey said as I finished removing his shirt.

"Yeah. It's bad." I said.

The wound must have been done with her back legs. Cats' back legs are stronger than their front ones. With the right amount of force, they can leave quite a mark. I know because Mittens had left some pretty bad scars on me over the years.

"Hold still, okay?" I said.

I leaned in close to him. He was a lot shorter than me, so I had to kneel down. I pulled out my wand and cast a healing spell.

"Episkey."

The gash left by my cat closed up. There was still some blood on his chest, but it was nothing a wet rag couldn't clean. He looked kind of embarrassed for some reason.

"Thanks." He said.

I wanted to say something, but couldn't for some reason. I kept staring at Corey's chest. It was so smooth and young… I couldn't help but smile.

"Faye? Are you okay?" He said.

I wasn't sure why, but something inside of me felt warm. I could feel it surging through me, through my blood. I tried not to let it show. I regained my composure and stood up again.

"It's not a problem. Now come on. We should probably get Mittens back to my room where she won't cause too much more trouble." I said.

Corey nodded. He turned to Mittens, who was still hiding in the corner. He approached her slowly and calmly.

"Here kitty. Come on, I'm not a bad guy. You know me, right? Corey?"

Mittens still had her ears down, but her fur wasn't standing up anymore. His lifted her up gently. She didn't struggle or resist. Maybe she calmed down? Corey handed me my cat. She was still shaking and tense from the encounter with Peeves. Her heart was beating fast.

"Right, then. Off we go." I said.

I carried my cat back to my room with Corey close behind.


	7. My Lies

Chapter 7

My Lies

I walked into my room and set Mittens down. She crawled under my bed, probably to go take a nap. She needed her rest anyway, especially after our encounter with Peeves. I looked around and remembered that Baily wasn't around. She was watching the Triwizard Tournament with everyone else.

"Faye?"

I turned around and remembered that Corey was still with me. It was a little difficult to keep eye contact. I towered above him, what with me being so tall and him being so short.

"You're okay, right, Corey? Did the healing spell work right? If I botched it, then I…"

"No. It worked. Thanks, Faye."

He seemed to be embarrassed about the situation. I guess it unmanly or something. Manly men tend to take pain and ask for more. Manly men can survive the toughest of wounds. Corey wasn't a manly man, though. He was just a kid.

"I want to be sure." I said.

I kneeled down and felt his chest. It was warm. I wasn't sure why, but it made me feel really good. I kept my hand on him, taking in his warmth. I wanted to give him only a light touch, so that I didn't take all of his warmth away. Still, he made me feel good.

I didn't like the feeling that I got. It felt strange and unnatural. It felt amazing. I couldn't explain it.

"You like it?" Corey said.

I snapped out of my trace.

"Like what?" I said.

Corey stifled a smile.

"You like touching me?" He said.

I stuttered a bit.

"No. I… I was just seeing if that gash healed properly. It did."

"I like it when you touch me. Your hands are so soft and smooth." Corey said.

He took my hand and put it on his shoulder. It felt really good, but I didn't like it. It felt icky and dirty, like it was something I wasn't supposed to feel. A sense of wonder and a sense of dread filled me. I never thought I could see Corey like this. I wanted to see more of him, more of this kind, helpful, small, and cute Corey. I wanted to stare at him without a shirt on for a long time. I wanted to get to know him better. We'd been friends for a while, but… Well…

There was a horrible feeling inside of me, an ugly, unnatural feeling that I hated. It was consuming me, penetrating my body and my spirit. It was like a monkey on my back, screaming. It was telling me to do all sorts of things I didn't approve of. They all sounded so appealing, though! It was too much. I was feeling overwhelmed.

"Thanks, Corey. I need some time alone right now." I said.

He gave me a disappointed look.

"You do?"

"We can hang out later. I really need to study for the upcoming test, though." I said.

"We can study together." Corey said.

"I study better alone." I said.

Corey knew that I wanted him to leave.

"Okay. I'll see you later, Faye?" He said as he moved toward my door.

"Later, Corey. And thanks again for helping me." I said.

He gave me another smile before leaving and closed the door.

Once he was gone, I immediately took off all of my clothes. I wasn't even sure why, but I had this urge, this horrible, nagging urge to do something really horrible to myself. I needed to, though. If I didn't, it would keep telling me, nagging me, over and over again that I needed to do it. I hated it. I hated that feeling, the urge that took control over me. I didn't feel like I was controlling my own body.

"Oh…"

It hurt. It always hurt, whenever I did this to me. It didn't just hurt me physically, but emotionally as well. I always felt a sense of shame, like I was never meant to do this, like this was something that was not natural. I was asexual, damnit. I was above these desires, these urges, these disgusting thoughts and habits. I was a pure woman who had pure thoughts!

"Oh… Corey."

I started to cry. I thought about him, not just his body, but the rest of him as well. Corey was cute. He was short. He had smooth, soft skin. He had a certain child-like innocence to him that I loved. He was helpful and friendly…

"Corey…"

That was because he was a child. He may have been a teenager, but he was still a child to me. I felt sick. I don't think I'd ever thought of a boy this way before, especially not someone like him. I felt horrible.

"Ugh…"

It was over. I had finished masturbating. I was curled up on my floor, completely naked, and in tears. My cat, Mittens came out from under my bed. She meowed.

"Don't judge me." I said between sobs.

I felt icky. I wanted to do something, anything to prevent myself from doing this again. I didn't care that it felt good. I didn't care that I never did anything like this. I just wanted it to stop. I didn't want this to be a part of my life. I looked up into the kitchen part of my quarters. There was a knife up on the counter. Baily had sliced up an apple this morning for breakfast. I could use it to slice something else up too. It would feel awful, but I could finally put an end to these urges. I could finally be above dirty, disgusting, unnatural thoughts. I could finally be at peace.

I stood up and grabbed the knife. I was ready to thrust it into myself, until I heard the doorknob turn. I froze.

"Faye? Are you there?"

It was Baily. She opened the door and caught me. I was completely naked, with a knife, about to drive it into a very sensitive place.

"Faye?" She said.

I dropped the knife.

"Faye? What the hell are you doing?" She said.

I could have opened up to her. I could have spilled my guts, told her everything that I was feeling, and had her comfort me. I could have, but I didn't want that. I was afraid, afraid of what it would do to me, what it would make me. I had defined myself as someone who wasn't into sex, wasn't into masturbation, wasn't into being a dirty and disgusting person. I needed to lie to her.

"I…"

I never was a good liar. I couldn't look her straight in the face.

"I… I was…"

I wanted to tell her that I hated myself. I wanted to tell her how much pain I felt, all the abuse that I inflicted upon me. I wanted to, but couldn't.

"I…"

Baily frowned.

"You know what, Faye? You don't have to tell me. I'm going to go now, but when I come back, you'd better be done."

I was silent.

"If I come back and you're still like this, I'm kicking your ass, okay?" Baily said.

I don't think I'd ever seen her so angry before. She slammed the door behind her. I dropped the knife and sat down on the floor.

I had mixed feelings about that day. I wasn't sure if it was the best day of my life or the worst.


	8. My Battle

Chapter 8

My Battle

It was the next day. I had just fed Mittens some more of that magic paste. She seemed to be a lot healthier, but I still wanted to keep watch of her. It only takes a small bit of negligence to lose a pet. I needed to keep my eyes on her at all times, lest she relapses back into being sick again.

I was in my room studying some more, alone. It was a nice, quiet time. Baily wasn't around and there was no one outside in the commons. Like I said before, the Triwizard Tournament was a really big deal. I heard that they had students doing all kinds of crazy stuff, like facing dragons. I guess it did sound like a big spectacle, but I still wasn't interested. I just wanted to be alone with my cat, who was purring.

"You like the scritch'ems? Do you, Mittens? Do you like your scritch'ems?"

I scratched her behind the ears. She loved that. I wasn't sure why, but Mittens would knead with her paws when I scratched her behind the ears. It was really cute and she didn't usually stay still long enough to let me do it.

Things were going pretty good, until my nice little moment of peace was ruined. I could feel his presence, that revolting feeling that he was drawing near.

"Relaxed, Miss Isorjiwski?"

It was Peeves. He materialized in front of me, wearing some kind of fake mustache and a suit with a hammer and sickle pin. I think he was supposed to be some kind of tyrant from Soviet Russia, but I wasn't sure. Mittens' fur stood up when Peeves drew near. She growled at him. I think my cat had the right idea.

"Leave. Now." I said.

"Oh come on now, Miss Isorjiwski. I hadn't even had any fun yet." He said.

I grabbed my wand and was ready to fight him if I had to.

"It's been so fun, tormenting you. But! I may have to stop soon. Oh, my plan is nearly complete." He said.

I cocked my head.

"Plan?"

"Yes, Miss Isorjiwski, a plan! Oh, there is a method to all this madness that I cause, a purpose, a goal. I'll need that cat, though. She's integral to my plan." He said.

I clutched Mittens close to my chest.

"You're not taking her anywhere." I said.

"Oh, but she's such a cute kitty-witty! Come now, Mittens. Care to let old Uncle Peeves pet you?"

Mittens hissed at him. She was tensing up and getting nervous. This didn't look good. When Mittens was nervous, she'd run. I could already feel her struggling to break free from my grasp. Peeves could see it too, how my cat was wiggling to try to break free.

"You know the saying, right, Miss Isorjiwski? When you love someone, you need to let them go."

"Shut up. That's a shit saying." I said.

Mittens struggled against me. She was shedding her fur, a defense mechanism cats had so that they could get free from something easier.

"Come on, Mittens. Come to daddy!" Peeves said.

With a mighty kick from her back legs, Mittens jumped free from my grasp. She tried to run under my bed, but Peeves snatched her by the tail. I was ready to cast a spell.

"Expecto…"

"Shut up."

Peeves punched me in the face before I could finish the words. I fell down and dropped my wand. I didn't think getting hit by a ghost would hurt that bad, but Peeves was stronger than he looked. I could hear Mittens thrashing about and hissing.

"You want to see your cat again? Come to the southern woods outside the school, at midnight. Bring your friend too, that Corey guy. I like him. I want to see him squirm as well." He said.

Before I could grab my wand again, Peeves and Mittens disappeared. I wasn't sure what that pest had planned for my cat, but I knew it wouldn't be good.

I rushed over to Corey's quarters. I knocked on his door.

"Hey! Corey! Open up!" I shouted.

There was no answer. I groaned.

"Damnit, did you go to watch that tournament too?" I said.

I banged at the door again. There was still no answer.

"My cat is in danger, Corey! If you're there, open the damn door!"

There was still no response. I guess he was gone. I'd have to wait for the event to finish.

Poor Mittens. I really hoped she'd be okay. I didn't want to imagine what kind of lunacy Peeves was going to inflict upon her…


	9. My Words

Chapter 9

My Words

It was night. I made arrangements with Corey to meet him outside of the woods close to 11:30. I wasn't sure exactly where Peeves was keeping my cat, but it'd give us a good thirty minutes to find them. When Corey arrived, I noticed that he smelled off.

"Okay. Let's go. Let's find that kitty!" He said.

I could feel the enthusiasm radiating off of his words. It was contagious. I took another sniff.

"What is that, cologne?" I said.

"You like it? My dad gave it to me back at the beginning of the year. It was for my 14th birthday." He said.

I gave him a smile.

"It stinks. You smell like a hyena's fart."

"How the hell would you know what a hyena's fart smells like?" Corey said.

I laughed.

"Come on. Let's find that bastard Peeves and make him wish he were never born."

I realized how dumb that sounded, as I was talking about a poltergeist, but I didn't let it bother me. We headed through the woods, wands in hand, using a torch spell to light the way.

As we walked, I heard a faint sound in the distance.

"Meow."

It was my cat, Mittens. Corey must have heard it too.

"I can hear her. Let's go!" He said.

I nodded. Corey led the way, running faster than I'd ever seen him go before.

"Corey, wait up!" I said.

He rushed toward a clearing and stopped in his tracks. Once I caught up with him, I saw her, Mittens. She was sitting in a cute little basket, surrounded in catnip treats. There seemed to be a bottle of wine next to her, a cheap wine that was probably bought (or stolen) from a supermarket, but it was still wine. Corey wasn't looking at my cat, or the wine for that matter. He was looking at words, carved into a nearby tree, emblazoned in magical glowing paint so that it could be read even in the dark.

"I LOVE YOU, COREY TWOTHORN"

Corey turned to me and gave me a very cute look.

"Peeves wasn't here, was he?"

"No. This is some kind of mistake. I didn't plan this at all." I said.

"You didn't?" Corey said.

"No. This wasn't my idea. This…"

I could see it, his heart being crushed. I didn't want to do that to him. It was too much. I loved Corey, but did I love him in that way? Was I even capable of loving anyone in a romantic way? I wasn't sure. I don't think I was ever sure.

Back when I was around Corey's age, 14, I determined that I was asexual. I told myself that I wasn't into boys. It made me think I was less pathetic. All of the other girls my age were off climbing the social ladder. They were getting boyfriends, trying on makeup, buying expensive fashion bullshit. I wasn't into that. I wasn't into any of it. I told myself that I wouldn't become one of them. I was above their hollow culture. I hated them so much. They all dressed the same, all liked the same things, all chased the same guys… It was sickening.

Or maybe I was bitter. Maybe deep down, I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be accepted. Or maybe I just got pissed and swore that I'd never be like them. I'd die before I'd become one of those girls.

"Faye?"

Corey interrupted my thoughts.

"Faye, do you love me?" He asked.

It was a tough question. I had to choose my words carefully. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to hurt myself.

"Faye?" He said again.

"No. I was lying. This was me. This was all my doing. I love you, Corey Twothorn."

No more bitterness. It was time to be honest with myself for once. I wasn't asexual. I never was. I just told myself I was so that I wouldn't think I was pathetic. I don't need that anymore. I wasn't insecure. Saying that was like having a gigantic weight lifted off of my shoulders.

"I love you, Corey. I love you." I said again.

I had to kneel down to kiss him. It wasn't the most comfortable kiss, but it was something. Corey seemed to enjoy it. I could feel his tongue caressing mine. It felt slimy and weird, but I enjoyed it.

Wait. I enjoyed it.

I… I enjoyed it! I didn't feel disgusting! I enjoyed it!

Once we were done kissing, I turned to the bottle of cheap wine. Neither one of us was old enough to drink. I think the only time I'd consumed any alcohol was a year back when I had some at my Auntie's wedding.

"Have you ever tried wine before?" I said to Corey as I unscrewed the cap.

"No… But, I'm up for anything." He said.

I gave the wine to him. Peeves didn't leave us with any wine glasses, so I guess we had to drink it straight from the bottle. Corey chugged some down. I could see his eyes start to water as he swallowed.

"It's strong. I tastes like grape juice belches." He said.

He passed me the wine. I tried some too. It was strong. I felt like I could be sick if I drank too much of this stuff. …Okay, so the wine was terrible, but it was forbidden to us. When you're young, there's a certain mystique to doing things that you're not supposed to do. I can't explain it.

"Meow."

It was my cat. I'd almost forgotten she was there. I grabbed the bottle of wine.

"We should go. Hagrid might be patrolling the grounds tonight and if he catches us…"

"Agreed." Corey said. He scooped up my kitty and we headed back.

Once we arrived back at my room, I noticed that Baily was asleep. I guess it was time for me to leave. I turned to Corey.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight. Thanks for everything." I said.

"Wait!"

Before I could open the door, Corey stopped me.

"Faye, would you… Would you go to The Yule Ball with me? I don't have a date yet and… Uh…"

"I'd love to. We can discuss the details tomorrow." I said.

This was so exciting! I was going to make myself look my prettiest. I was going to get into my fanciest dress. I was going to find some perfume. Maybe I could even get my hair done! Oh, this was perfect. I was going to be… Uh… I was going to be exactly the kind of girl that I hated.

No. We can't be bitter. Focus, Faye! Focus! Peeves used his chaos for good, for once. This was your opportunity. Don't throw it away!

…But he was just a kid. It felt weird, thinking of all the things I wanted him to do to me. Well, maybe I could think about it some other time. It'd been a long night anyway. I started to turn the doorknob again.

"Wait!" Corey said.

"Yes?" I said.

Corey paused for a moment, like he was a little afraid of what he was going to say.

"Uh… I know a place, a real special place." He said.

I wasn't sure where he was going with this, but it made my blood pump fast.

"Uh… This place, uh…"

Corey seemed nervous, like he wasn't even sure of what he was about to say.

"I was thinking that maybe we could… You know… Go there and get kissy-kissy and stuff."

I smiled.

"Hold on. Just let me put my cat in my room and we'll be off." I said.

I opened the door and set Mittens down. She rushed into my room, still happy from all the catnip treats Peeves left for her. After that, Corey led me over to The Grand Staircase, the one with the magic stairs that moved without warning and had traps on them.

Corey tried to be quiet. We both knew that staff members sometimes patrolled the halls at night, so we had to be extra careful.

"This way." Corey said.

He led me up a staircase and toward a painting, about the size of a window. He climbed into it. I guess it was a magic painting or something. He climbed in and poked his head out.

"Can you fit?" He said.

I wasn't sure if my body could get through, partially because I was so tall. It was a bit of a squeeze, but I managed to get in.

The inside of the painting was pitch black, save for a torch in the center. There was a bed, along with a few books, and a Giga Pet, but otherwise, it was a normal, dark room.

"I don't get along real well with my roommate. When we fight, I stay here." Corey said.

I looked down at his Giga Pet. It was sleeping at the moment. Even though it was just a crude cat made of lines and shapes, it was still kind of cute. I turned away from it and gave Corey a lovely look.

"Let's start." I said.

We both got down on the bed and began to kiss. It still felt really weird, what with him being a little more than half my size. I wasn't sure why, but I felt the urge to grab him, right by the butt. As we kissed, I started to grope the other side of him.

"Oh! Do that! Yes, do that!" Corey said.

He was more than eager to take things further.

"You want me to kiss it?" I said, smiling.

…

We did something very special that night inside of the painting. Somewhere along the line, it stopped feeling weird. I was comfortable with who I was. I didn't feel pathetic or disgusting. I didn't feel like a sick freak for sucking a 14-year-old boy. This was who I was now, no more lies. I was finally comfortable with myself. It was the best night of my life.


	10. Beautiful Chaos

Chapter 10

Beautiful Chaos

It was a few days before the Yule Ball. I was with Baily, trying on one of her dresses in my room. She was a little sad that she couldn't get in touch with Harry Potter. Rumor had it that he was going with someone else anyway.

"Are you ready, deary?" Baily said.

I was still trying to get the dress on. Baily was shorter than me, so it was a bit of a squeeze. I guess this is the price I pay for not originally wanting to go at all, having to borrow a dress at the last minute.

"Okay. I'm ready."

I came out in one of Baily's garish dresses. Like the one she showed me earlier, it was brightly colored and had too much sequins on it.

"Do I look too terrible?" I said.

I could see my cat, Mittens, on my bed. She meowed at me. Was it approval? Or was she laughing at me? I couldn't tell.

"You look wonderful." Baily said.

I turned to a mirror. I didn't look wonderful. I looked like some kind of circus performer. Goodness, if I got into the makeup, I'd probably make myself look like a clown.

As I looked into the mirror, I noticed someone familiar. It was Peeves.

"Hello, Miss Isorjiwski." He said.

I growled.

"Here to torment me some more?" I said.

"Oh no, I think I've tormented you as much as I could. I was just here to wish you luck at The Yule Ball. I won't be going because of some… disagreements I've had with some of the other ghosts." Peeves said.

Well, that was unexpected.

"I hope you have fun, though." Peeves said.

Was he being honest or was this another one of his tricks? He waved to me.

"Well, I'm off to go touch someone else's life with my chaos. Cheerio, Miss Isorjiwski."

With that, he disappeared. I never saw Peeves again, not until I graduated, anyway.

Peeves was said to be a spirit of chaos, an evil little imp that haunted Hogwarts', living only to make life a little bit more miserable for everyone.

I didn't feel miserable, though. In fact, I felt better than ever. I was finally honest with myself.

I love you, Corey Twothorn. I've been denying myself those words for such a long time. Now I can finally say it. I love you.

"Meow."

I turned to Mittens. She was playing with some string that was hanging down from my dress. She looked, cute, too cute. I don't think any of this could have happened without her. I picked up my cat and hugged her.

"You're a good kitty, Mittens."

Thank you for reading my story.

The End


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